Ashtons Interiors is a giant grey shop on the corner of a tree lined residential street. The first thing to be said of it is that it is an emporium of wonders - there can be no doubt of this. Delicate glassware, curlicued furniture and vintage pictures and textiles are all displayed beautifully with nigh-on museum precision. 1930s cocktail shakers and sets of liqueur glasses coloured like sweets reflect the light in shafts through the rooms. It is a lovely place to go into.
However, I cannot imagine how anyone manages to get to the stage of actually buying anything in here. Firstly, there are (or indeed aren't) the opening hours, which total about two. Secondly, when it is open, this means the door is unlocked and that seems to be about all - hallooing into the pre-Kidstonian white parlour produced no ghost of a reply. Thirdly, it is catastrophically expensive. To buy anything from here requires that you have a hereditary income, purely because after parting with that much cash for a side table you would have to have a couple of months off to deal with the shock. How do they survive? I suppose they only need to sell one needlepoint armchair (gold, with putti and white embroidery) per year. Still, go in and gaze - it's a lovely place to stare at. read more